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{{short description|Experimental jet aircraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{more footnotes|date=August 2011}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin {{Infobox aircraft
|name = He 178 |name = He 178
|image = File:Flughafen Rostock-Laage1.JPG |image = File:Flughafen Rostock-Laage1.JPG
|caption =He 178 replica at ] |caption = He 178 replica at ]
|type = Experimental ]/]
}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type
|manufacturer = ]
|type =Experimental ]/Pioneer aircraft
|manufacturer =]
|designer = |designer =
|first flight =27 August 1939 |first_flight = 27 August 1939
|introduced = |introduction =
|retired = |retired =
|status = |status =
|primary user = |primary_user =
|more users = |more_users =
|produced = |produced =
|number built = |number_built =
|unit cost = |unit cost =
|variants with their own articles = |variants =
}} }}
|}


The '''Heinkel He 178''' was an experimental ] designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer ]. It was the world's first aircraft to fly using the thrust from a ] engine.
The '''Heinkel He 178''' was the world's first ] to fly under ] power, and the first practical ]. It was a private venture by the German ] company in accordance with director ]'s emphasis on developing technology for high-speed flight. It first flew on 27 August 1939, piloted by ]. This flight had been preceded by a short hop three days earlier.


The He 178 was developed to test the ] concept devised by the German engineer ] during the mid-1930s. Having secured the industrial support of ], von Ohain was able to demonstrate a working ] engine, the ], in September 1937. Heinkel pursued development of the He 178 as a private venture, independent of the German authorities and the ], keeping the aircraft relatively secret for much of its development. Heinkel was keen not only to demonstrate the capabilities of aviation ]s, but had a separate emphasis on developing high-speed flight technologies.
==Development==
In 1936, a young engineer named ] had taken out a ] on using the exhaust from a ] as a means of propulsion.


On 27 August 1939, the He 178 V1, the first prototype, performed its ], piloted by ]. This flight, which only lasted for six minutes, had been preceded by a short hop by the same aircraft three days prior. Due to its performance limitations, such as a maximum speed of {{convert|598|km/h|mph}} and its relatively small endurance, the aircraft failed to impress high-ranking ] officials such as ] and ], who attended a demonstration flight. Heinkel subsequently developed a twin-engined jet-powered ], building on the lessons of the He 178, to produce the ]. The He 178 provided valuable test data to guide the development of subsequent jet-powered aircraft. The He 178 V1 prototype itself went on static display in ] for a time before it was destroyed by an Allied air raid on the city in 1943.
He presented his idea to ], who agreed to help develop the concept. Von Ohain successfully demonstrated his first engine, the ] in 1937, and plans were quickly made to test a similar engine in an aircraft. The He 178 was designed around von Ohain's third engine design, the ], which burned ]. The result was a small aircraft with a metal ] of conventional configuration and construction. The jet intake was in the nose, and the aircraft was fitted with ]. The main landing gear was intended to be retractable, but remained fixed in "down" position throughout the flight trials.


==Development==
The high-mounted wooden wings had the characteristic ] ] ]. Photos showing a "straight wing" (straight-line-taper in the wing planform, for both the ] and trailing edges) were of the second ] He 178 V2, which never flew under power.
===Background===
{{More citations needed|date=August 2019}}
In 1935, ], a young German engineer, successfully took out a ] on the use of the exhaust from a ] as a means of propulsion.<ref name = "newscience 572"/> Von Ohain presented his idea to the aeronautical engineer ], who was sufficiently impressed that he agreed to help develop the concept. This industrial support would prove highly beneficial to von Ohain's work.<ref name = "history 196"/> According to ], Heinkel had already been interested in the potential of the gas turbine prior to encountering von Ohain and his work.<ref name = "newscience 572">{{cite magazine |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=DilcKbMBXRMC&pg=PA572 |title = The Jet Engine – Anniversary of a Missed Opportunity |magazine = New Scientist |via = books.google.com |date = 27 November 1980 |volume = 88 |number = 1229 |first = Glyn |last = Davies |page = 572 |issn = 0262-4079 |access-date = 29 January 2023 |archive-date = 9 March 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230309182143/https://books.google.com/books?id=DilcKbMBXRMC&pg=PA572 |url-status = dead }}</ref>


During September 1937, von Ohain successfully demonstrated his first engine, the ].<ref name = "history 196">History Office 2002, p. 196.</ref><ref name = "buttler 8">Buttler 2019, p. 8.</ref> Accordingly, it was promptly decided to begin designing an aircraft for which a similar such engine could be installed and tested in the air. This aircraft, which would be designated ''He 178'', was designed around von Ohain's third engine design, the ], which burned either ] or ].<ref>Martel 1987, p. 2.</ref><ref name="C.Rodgers">"A Performance Diagnosis of the 1939 Heinkel HE S3B Turbojet" C. Rodgers, GT2004-53014.</ref> To support the programme, the HeS 3 was test flown in a ], but only as a supplemental engine to the conventional piston engine that it retained.<ref name="lw 120">Warsitz 2008, p. 120.</ref><ref name = "buttler 89">Buttler 2019, pp. 8–9.</ref>
The aircraft made its maiden flight on 27 August 1939, only days before Germany started World War II by invading Poland.{{Sfn | Koehler | 1999 | p = 173}} The pilot was Erich Warsitz, who had flown the world's first rocket powered airplane, the ], on its maiden flight in June 1939, only months before.


The He 178 was a relatively compact aircraft, featuring a primarily metal ] and using a largely conventional configuration and construction. The nose accommodated the air intake for the engine, which was housed within the central fuselage. The aircraft was fitted with ]. The main landing gear was intended to be retractable, but actually remained fixed in the "down" position throughout the flight trials. It was furnished with high-mounted wooden wings that had the characteristic ] ] ] ]. Photos showing a "straight wing" (straight-line-taper in the wing planform, for both the ] and trailing edges) were of the second ] He 178 V2, which never flew under power.
The aircraft was a success; however, speeds were limited to {{convert|598|km/h|mph}} at the proposed service altitude, and ] was only 10 minutes.


===Into flight===
Heinkel had developed the turbojet engine and the testbed aircraft, the Heinkel He 178 V1, in great secrecy. They were kept secret even from the German air force and the '']''. On 1 November 1939, after the German victory in Poland, Heinkel arranged a demonstration of the jet to officials. Herman Goering, commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, didn't even show up. ] and ] watched the aircraft perform, but were unimpressed.{{Sfn | Koehler | 1999 | pp = 174–5}} Nevertheless, Heinkel was undeterred, and decided to embark on the development of a twin-engine jet fighter, the ] as a private venture using what had been learned from the He 178.
]
]
On 27 August 1939, the aircraft performed its ], only days before Germany invaded Poland.{{Sfn | Koehler | 1999 | p = 173}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3wMCoejQrNMC&pg=PA89 |title = U.S. Jet Engines |magazine = Flying |date = February 1963 |volume = 72 |number = 2 |issn = 0015-4806 |page = 89}}</ref> This flight, piloted by ], lasted only six minutes and almost ended in near-disaster due to a misjudgement during the unpowered landing approach, but was successfully recovered.<ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=YeQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA79 |title = History's Best Test Pilots |magazine = Popular Mechanics |date = April 1985 |volume = 162 |number = 4 |issn = 0032-4558 |first = William |last = Hoffer |page = 79}}</ref> Warsitz later described his groundbreaking flight: "I moved the throttle levers gently forward. As the aircraft began to roll I was initially rather disappointed at the thrust, for she did not shoot forward as the ] had done, but moved off slowly. By the 300-metre mark she was moving very fast. Despite several attempts I could not retract the undercarriage. It was not important, all that mattered was that she flew. The rudder and all flaps worked almost normally, the turbine howled. Now I would have to take my chances with the landing, losing altitude by ]. I restored her to the correct attitude just before touching down, made a wonderful landing and pulled up just short of the ]."<ref name="lw 1279">Warsitz 2008, pp. 127–129.</ref>


Heinkel had developed the turbojet engine and the testbed aircraft, the Heinkel He 178 V1, in great secrecy. Their existence were concealed even from the ]. On 1 November 1939, after the German victory in Poland, Heinkel arranged a demonstration of the aircraft before a group of ] officials.<ref name = "buttler 21">Buttler 2019, p. 21.</ref> While ], the commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, was not in attendance, the demonstration was watched by ] and ], Minister of Aircraft Production and Supply, however, they were reportedly not impressed by its performance.{{Sfn | Koehler | 1999 | pp = 174–5}}<ref name = "history 196"/> While the He 178 had been a success on a technical basis, its speed was restricted to no greater than {{convert|598|km/h|mph}}, even when fitted with the more powerful HeS 6 engines, capable of generating up to {{cvt|1,300|lbf|kN|order=flip}} of thrust,<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_heinkel_he_178.html |title = Heinkel He 178 |last = Rickard |first = J |date = 27 November 2009 |website = Military History Encyclopedia on the Web |access-date = 22 March 2016}}</ref> while its ] was limited to only ten minutes.
The He 178 V1 airframe was placed on display at the Berlin Air Museum, where it was destroyed in an air raid in 1943.{{Sfn | Smith | Kay | 1972 | p = 292}}


==Significance== ===Legacy===
Heinkel was disappointed by the lack of official interest in his private-venture jet. In his autobiography, he attributes that to the failure of the leaders of the '']'' to understand the advantages of jet propulsion and the breakthrough that He 178 represented.<ref>{{Citation |editor-first = Jürgen |editor-last = Thorwald |language = de |title = Ernst Heinkel: Stuermisches Leben |publisher = Mundus |place = Stuttgart |year = 1953 |id = DNB 451925130}}.</ref> Undeterred by a lack of support from external officials, Heinkel decided to embark on the development of a twin-engine jet fighter as a private venture, harnessing what had been learned from flying the He 178 prototype. This would result in the ], the first prototype jet-powered ].<ref name = "chris 59">Christopher 2013, p. 59.</ref> It was not derived from the He 178, however, partially as some aspects of the design had deemed to be unsuitable for further development, such as mounting the engine within the fuselage which proved to be impractical.<ref name = "buttler 23">Buttler 2019, p. 23.</ref>
]-Schmarl district]]

] was disappointed by the lack of official interest in his private-venture jet. In his autobiography, he attributes this to the failure of the leaders of the '']'' to understand the advantages of jet propulsion and what breakthrough the He 178 represented.<ref>{{Citation | editor-first = Jürgen | editor-last = Thorwald | language = German | title = Ernst Heinkel: Stuermisches Leben | publisher = Mundus | place = Stuttgart | year = 1953 | id = DNB 451925130}}.</ref> In fact, the Reich Air Ministry was already developing its own jets, a fact unknown to Heinkel.<ref>Christopher, John. ''The Race for Hitler's X-Planes'' (The Mill, Gloucestershire: History Press, 2013), p.59.</ref>

In 1939, ] and ] were working on "official" turbojet engines (in bearing RLM-issued "109-0xx" design numbers) for the German military. These were ] turbojets, which promised much less drag than the ] turbojets like those being developed at Heinkel and by ] in England.


Unknown to Heinkel, the Reich Air Ministry had already been developing its own jet technology.<ref name = "chris 59">Christopher 2013, p. 59.</ref> In fact, in September 1939, the development of jet powered single-seat aircraft was ordered to continue despite a general order to cut back on non-core development work as to get certain aircraft types operational as soon as possible.{{Sfn | Koehler | 1999 | pp = 160 note 36, 174 note 78 | ps =: LC2 Nr. 632/39 g.Kdos vom 12. September 1939 Bundesarchiv-Militaerachiv (BA-MA) 4406-812.}} However, the jet engines that would be developed by ] and ] would differ considerably from those engines used by the He 178, instead favouring the ] approach in place of the earlier ] design.<ref name = "newscience 572"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=SOUUuRXEFmoC&pg=PA385 |title = Powerplants |magazine = Flying |date = September 1977 |volume = 101 |number = 3 |issn = 0015-4806 |first = John W |last = Olcott |page = 385}}</ref> Nevertheless, the He 178 programme was a valuable source of test data that aided subsequent development efforts considerably.<ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Uz9Tdfe8FWEC&pg=PA120 |title = Planes of the German Air Force |magazine = Flying |date = January 1946 |volume = 38 |number = 1 |issn = 0015-4806 |page = 120}}</ref>
In mid September 1939, two weeks after Germany started World War II, the German air force ordered aircraft manufacturers to reduce development work and concentrate all efforts on winning what German officials expected to be a short war. But the development of jet powered single-seaters was ordered to continue, to get such aircraft operational as fighters as soon as possible.{{Sfn | Koehler | 1999 | pp = 160 note 36, 174 note 78 | ps =: LC2 Nr. 632/39 g.Kdos vom 12. September 1939 Bundesarchiv-Militaerachiv (BA-MA) 4406-812.}}


The He 178 V1 airframe was placed on display at the Deutsche Luftfahrtsammlung in ], where it was destroyed in an air raid in 1943.{{Sfn | Smith | Kay | 1972 | p = 292}}
In July 1944, both the German and British air forces began flying jet powered fighters operationally. The British ] F.I, powered by ] centrifugal-flow turbojets, had a maximum speed (in level flight) of {{convert|692|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name = Mondey1>{{Citation | title = The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II | editor-first = David | editor-last = Mondey | publisher = The Hamlyn Publishing Group, Aerospace Publishing | place = London | year = 1982 | ISBN = 0-600-34967-5 | page = 121}}.</ref> This was about the same as the best piston engined Allied fighters being flown in combat at that time. The German Messerschmitt ], powered by ] axial-flow turbojets, had a maximum speed of {{convert|870|km/h|abbr=on}},<ref name = Mondey2>{{Citation | title = Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II | editor-first = David | editor-last = Mondey | publisher = Temple Press, Aerospace Publishing | place = London | year = 1984 | ISBN = 0-600-35027-4 | page = 188}}.</ref>&mdash;{{convert|178|km/h|abbr=on}} faster than the best piston-engined fighters&mdash;and with superior climb performance. However, the German jet engines had a service life of about 25 hours due to the shortage of heat-resistant steel alloys, whereas the British jet engines could run for 180 hours. The '']'' flew the Me 262 in combat as an air-superiority fighter. The ] used the Gloster Meteor for intercepting ], coastal patrols and for training, where its ability to reach speeds of over 500&nbsp;mph in a dive could simulate attacks by German jets.


==Specifications== ==Specifications==
] ]
{{Aircraft specs
]
|ref={{citation needed|date=June 2019}}
{{Aircraft specifications
|prime units?= met
|plane or copter?=plane
<!--
|jet or prop?=jet
General characteristics
|crew=One
-->
|length main=7.48 m
|crew= 1
|length alt=24 ft 6 in
|span main=7.20 m |length m= 7.48
|length note=
|span alt=23 ft 3 in
|span m= 7.2
|height main=2.10 m
|span note=
|height alt=6 ft 10 in
|area main=9.1 m² |height m= 2.1
|height note=
|area alt=98 ft²
|wing area sqm= 9.1
|empty weight main=1,620 kg
|wing area note=
|empty weight alt=3,572 lb
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|loaded weight main=
|airfoil='''root:''' Günter symmetrical 11% ; '''tip:''' Günter symmetrical 7%<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1 = Lednicer |first1 = David |title = The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url = https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website = m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date = 16 April 2019}}</ref>
|loaded weight alt=
|max takeoff weight main=1,998 kg |empty weight kg= 1,620
|max takeoff weight alt=4,405 lb |empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg= 1,998
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general= |more general=
<!--
|engine (jet)=]
Powerplant
|type of jet=]
-->
|number of jets=1
|eng1 number= 1
|thrust main=4.4 kN
|eng1 name= ]
|thrust alt=992 lbf
|eng1 type= ] engine
|max speed main=598 km/h
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|max speed alt=380 mph
|eng1 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
|range main=200 km
|eng1 shp=<!-- prop engines -->
|range alt=125 mi
|eng1 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|ceiling main=
|ceiling alt= |eng1 lbf= 992
|eng1 note=
|climb rate main=
<!--
|climb rate alt=
Performance
|loading main=
-->
|loading alt=
|max speed kmh= 598
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km= 200
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|thrust/weight= |thrust/weight=

|armament= No installed weapons or hard-points}}{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}
|more performance=
}}


==See also== ==See also==
]
{{Aircontent {{Aircontent
|related= |related=
|similar aircraft= |similar aircraft=
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
|sequence= |sequence=
|lists=
|lists=* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ]
|see also=}} |see also=}}

*]


==References== ==References==
===Citations===
]-Schmarl district]]
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist}}


==Bibliography== ===Bibliography===
* {{Citation | first = H Dieter | last = Koehler | title = Ernst Heinkel – Pionier der Schnellflugzeuge | publisher = Bernard & Graefe | place = Bonn | year = 1999 | ISBN = 3-7637-6116-0}}. * {{cite book |first = Tony |last = Buttler |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=rf6eDwAAQBAJ |title = Jet Prototypes of World War II: Gloster, Heinkel, and Caproni Campini's Wartime Jet Programmes |publisher = Bloomsbury Publishing |year = 2019 |isbn = 9781472835994}}
* {{Citation | last1 = Smith | first1 = JR | first2 = Antony L | last2 = Kay | title = German Aircraft of the Second World War | place = London | publisher = Putnam | year = 1972 | ISBN = 0-85177-836-4}}. * {{cite book |last = Christopher |first = John |title = The Race for Hitler's X-Planes |location = The Mill, Gloucestershire |publisher = History Press |year = 2013}}
* {{cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=E_GsiMU2sksC&pg=PA196 |title = Splendid Vision, Unswerving Purpose |publisher = Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command |author = History Office |year = 2002 |isbn = 0-1606-7599-5}}
* {{Citation | last = Warsitz | first = Lutz | title = The First Jet Pilot – The Story of German Test Pilot Erich Warsitz | publisher = Pen and Sword | place = England | year = 2009 | ISBN = 978-1-84415-818-8}}.
* {{Cite book |first = H. Dieter |last = Koehler |title = Ernst Heinkel – Pionier der Schnellflugzeuge |publisher = Bernard & Graefe |location = Bonn |year = 1999 |isbn = 978-3-7637-6116-6}}.
* {{Cite book |first = Charles R. |last = Martel |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sSCc6U-5u-MC |title = Military Jet Fuels, 1944-1987 |publisher = Aero Propulsion Laboratory, Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories, Air Force Systems Command, United States Air Force |year = 1987}}
* {{cite book |last = Munson |first = Kenneth |title = German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour |location = Poole, Dorset, UK |publisher = Blandford Press |year = 1978 |isbn = 0-7137-0860-3}}
* {{Cite book |last1 = Smith |first1 = JR |first2 = Antony L | last2 = Kay | title = German Aircraft of the Second World War |location = London |publisher = Putnam |year = 1972 |isbn = 978-0-85177-836-5}}.
* {{Cite book |last = Warsitz |first = Lutz |title = The First Jet Pilot – The Story of German Test Pilot Erich Warsitz |publisher = Pen and Sword |location = England |year = 2009 |isbn = 978-1-84415-818-8}}.


==External links== ==External links==
{{commons |Heinkel He 178}} {{commons category|Heinkel He 178}}
* {{Citation | url = http://www.erichwarsitz.com/ | type = official website | title = Erich Warsitz}}, including rare videos of the Heinkel He 178 and audio commentaries. * {{Citation |url = http://www.erichwarsitz.com/ |type = official website |title = Erich Warsitz}}, including rare videos of the Heinkel He 178 and audio commentaries.
* {{Citation |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg92gDVDCx4 |title = Heinkel He 178 and He 282 – the first jets |date = 9 June 2011 |via = YouTube}}
* {{Citation |url = https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/363211/view/heinkel-he-178-first-jet-plane |title = Heinkel He-178, first jet plane |publisher = sciencephoto.com}}


{{Heinkel aircraft}} {{Heinkel aircraft}}
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Latest revision as of 05:03, 6 January 2025

Experimental jet aircraft

He 178
He 178 replica at Rostock-Laage Airport
General information
TypeExperimental prototype/Pioneer aircraft
ManufacturerHeinkel
History
First flight27 August 1939

The Heinkel He 178 was an experimental aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Heinkel. It was the world's first aircraft to fly using the thrust from a turbojet engine.

The He 178 was developed to test the jet propulsion concept devised by the German engineer Hans von Ohain during the mid-1930s. Having secured the industrial support of Ernst Heinkel, von Ohain was able to demonstrate a working turbojet engine, the Heinkel HeS 1, in September 1937. Heinkel pursued development of the He 178 as a private venture, independent of the German authorities and the Luftwaffe, keeping the aircraft relatively secret for much of its development. Heinkel was keen not only to demonstrate the capabilities of aviation gas turbines, but had a separate emphasis on developing high-speed flight technologies.

On 27 August 1939, the He 178 V1, the first prototype, performed its maiden flight, piloted by Erich Warsitz. This flight, which only lasted for six minutes, had been preceded by a short hop by the same aircraft three days prior. Due to its performance limitations, such as a maximum speed of 598 kilometres per hour (372 mph) and its relatively small endurance, the aircraft failed to impress high-ranking Nazi officials such as Ernst Udet and Erhard Milch, who attended a demonstration flight. Heinkel subsequently developed a twin-engined jet-powered fighter aircraft, building on the lessons of the He 178, to produce the He 280. The He 178 provided valuable test data to guide the development of subsequent jet-powered aircraft. The He 178 V1 prototype itself went on static display in Berlin for a time before it was destroyed by an Allied air raid on the city in 1943.

Development

Background

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In 1935, Hans von Ohain, a young German engineer, successfully took out a patent on the use of the exhaust from a gas turbine as a means of propulsion. Von Ohain presented his idea to the aeronautical engineer Ernst Heinkel, who was sufficiently impressed that he agreed to help develop the concept. This industrial support would prove highly beneficial to von Ohain's work. According to New Scientist, Heinkel had already been interested in the potential of the gas turbine prior to encountering von Ohain and his work.

During September 1937, von Ohain successfully demonstrated his first engine, the Heinkel HeS 1. Accordingly, it was promptly decided to begin designing an aircraft for which a similar such engine could be installed and tested in the air. This aircraft, which would be designated He 178, was designed around von Ohain's third engine design, the HeS 3, which burned either diesel fuel or gasoline. To support the programme, the HeS 3 was test flown in a Heinkel He 118, but only as a supplemental engine to the conventional piston engine that it retained.

The He 178 was a relatively compact aircraft, featuring a primarily metal fuselage and using a largely conventional configuration and construction. The nose accommodated the air intake for the engine, which was housed within the central fuselage. The aircraft was fitted with tailwheel undercarriage. The main landing gear was intended to be retractable, but actually remained fixed in the "down" position throughout the flight trials. It was furnished with high-mounted wooden wings that had the characteristic Günter brothers elliptical trailing edge planform. Photos showing a "straight wing" (straight-line-taper in the wing planform, for both the leading and trailing edges) were of the second prototype He 178 V2, which never flew under power.

Into flight

The He 178 V2 (note the squared-off wingtips). This particular aircraft flew only as an unpowered glider
The He 178 drawing board design

On 27 August 1939, the aircraft performed its maiden flight, only days before Germany invaded Poland. This flight, piloted by Erich Warsitz, lasted only six minutes and almost ended in near-disaster due to a misjudgement during the unpowered landing approach, but was successfully recovered. Warsitz later described his groundbreaking flight: "I moved the throttle levers gently forward. As the aircraft began to roll I was initially rather disappointed at the thrust, for she did not shoot forward as the 176 had done, but moved off slowly. By the 300-metre mark she was moving very fast. Despite several attempts I could not retract the undercarriage. It was not important, all that mattered was that she flew. The rudder and all flaps worked almost normally, the turbine howled. Now I would have to take my chances with the landing, losing altitude by side-slipping. I restored her to the correct attitude just before touching down, made a wonderful landing and pulled up just short of the Warnow."

Heinkel had developed the turbojet engine and the testbed aircraft, the Heinkel He 178 V1, in great secrecy. Their existence were concealed even from the Luftwaffe. On 1 November 1939, after the German victory in Poland, Heinkel arranged a demonstration of the aircraft before a group of Nazi officials. While Hermann Göring, the commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, was not in attendance, the demonstration was watched by Ernst Udet and Erhard Milch, Minister of Aircraft Production and Supply, however, they were reportedly not impressed by its performance. While the He 178 had been a success on a technical basis, its speed was restricted to no greater than 598 kilometres per hour (372 mph), even when fitted with the more powerful HeS 6 engines, capable of generating up to 5.8 kN (1,300 lbf) of thrust, while its combat endurance was limited to only ten minutes.

Legacy

Heinkel was disappointed by the lack of official interest in his private-venture jet. In his autobiography, he attributes that to the failure of the leaders of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium to understand the advantages of jet propulsion and the breakthrough that He 178 represented. Undeterred by a lack of support from external officials, Heinkel decided to embark on the development of a twin-engine jet fighter as a private venture, harnessing what had been learned from flying the He 178 prototype. This would result in the He 280, the first prototype jet-powered fighter aircraft. It was not derived from the He 178, however, partially as some aspects of the design had deemed to be unsuitable for further development, such as mounting the engine within the fuselage which proved to be impractical.

Unknown to Heinkel, the Reich Air Ministry had already been developing its own jet technology. In fact, in September 1939, the development of jet powered single-seat aircraft was ordered to continue despite a general order to cut back on non-core development work as to get certain aircraft types operational as soon as possible. However, the jet engines that would be developed by Junkers and BMW would differ considerably from those engines used by the He 178, instead favouring the axial flow approach in place of the earlier centrifugal design. Nevertheless, the He 178 programme was a valuable source of test data that aided subsequent development efforts considerably.

The He 178 V1 airframe was placed on display at the Deutsche Luftfahrtsammlung in Berlin, where it was destroyed in an air raid in 1943.

Specifications

The Heinkel He 178 V2 – the airworthy V1's airframe possessed the elliptically shaped trailing-edged wing.

Data from

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 7.48 m (24 ft 6 in)
  • Wingspan: 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in)
  • Height: 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)
  • Wing area: 9.1 m (98 sq ft)
  • Airfoil: root: Günter symmetrical 11% ; tip: Günter symmetrical 7%
  • Empty weight: 1,620 kg (3,571 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 1,998 kg (4,405 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Heinkel HeS 3 turbojet engine, 4.41 kN (992 lbf) thrust

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 598 km/h (372 mph, 323 kn)
  • Range: 200 km (120 mi, 110 nmi)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Citations

Memorial plaque honoring the world's first jet flight from Heinkel's "Marienehe" factory airfield, in today's Rostock-Schmarl district
  1. ^ Davies, Glyn (27 November 1980). "The Jet Engine – Anniversary of a Missed Opportunity". New Scientist. Vol. 88, no. 1229. p. 572. ISSN 0262-4079. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023 – via books.google.com.
  2. ^ History Office 2002, p. 196.
  3. Buttler 2019, p. 8.
  4. Martel 1987, p. 2.
  5. "A Performance Diagnosis of the 1939 Heinkel HE S3B Turbojet" C. Rodgers, GT2004-53014.
  6. Warsitz 2008, p. 120.
  7. Buttler 2019, pp. 8–9.
  8. Koehler 1999, p. 173.
  9. "U.S. Jet Engines". Flying. Vol. 72, no. 2. February 1963. p. 89. ISSN 0015-4806.
  10. Hoffer, William (April 1985). "History's Best Test Pilots". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 162, no. 4. p. 79. ISSN 0032-4558.
  11. Warsitz 2008, pp. 127–129.
  12. Buttler 2019, p. 21.
  13. Koehler 1999, pp. 174–5.
  14. Rickard, J (27 November 2009). "Heinkel He 178". Military History Encyclopedia on the Web. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  15. Thorwald, Jürgen, ed. (1953), Ernst Heinkel: Stuermisches Leben (in German), Stuttgart: Mundus, DNB 451925130.
  16. ^ Christopher 2013, p. 59.
  17. Buttler 2019, p. 23.
  18. Koehler 1999, pp. 160 note 36, 174 note 78: LC2 Nr. 632/39 g.Kdos vom 12. September 1939 Bundesarchiv-Militaerachiv (BA-MA) 4406-812.
  19. Olcott, John W (September 1977). "Powerplants". Flying. Vol. 101, no. 3. p. 385. ISSN 0015-4806.
  20. "Planes of the German Air Force". Flying. Vol. 38, no. 1. January 1946. p. 120. ISSN 0015-4806.
  21. Smith & Kay 1972, p. 292.
  22. Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

Bibliography

External links

Heinkel aircraft
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Heinkel Eindecker (HE) monoplanes
Heinkel Doppeldecker (HD) biplanes
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Note: Official RLM designations had the prefix "8-", but this was usually dropped and replaced with the manufacturer's prefix.

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